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Sunday, May 4, 2014

The Great Brain, by John D. Fitzgerald

“The Great Brain” is the first in a series of seven books
set in Utah, just before the year 1900.
This was also one of my favorite books when I was in school, so it was
awesome that I got to read it again for a review on this blog. The narrator, John, shares stories about his
older brother Tom, who claims to be the smartest kid in town. Even though I’d imagine that these stories
probably have some fiction in them, Mr. Fitzgerald presents them as his
true-to-life memoirs.

I love reading about different historical eras, and I’d
imagine that story-telling was a popular pastime in the days before radio and
television. Young John begins the book
with a story about how his family was the first in town to have an indoor
flushing toilet installed in their home.
The neighbors came from miles around to see this wonder, and Tom’s great
brain came up with the idea of charging admission. Despite John’s worst fears, the toilet didn’t
explode! The house didn’t stink or flood
over, either.

Mr. Fitzgerald doesn’t shy away from some of the hard
realities of life on the frontier, which often included religious conflicts
between Mormons and other faiths.
Alcohol abuse, missing children, a suicide attempt, and other mature
subjects are also part of John and Tom’s daily lives. On re-reading this book, it occurred to me
that it almost might be more appropriate for young adults rather than
middle-grade readers. Still, Mr.
Fitzgerald presents these issues very matter-of-factly, and I think his intent
was to show his readers the obstacles that a normal ten-year-old boy like John
would have faced.

“The Great Brain” is one of the few books that I’d say all
boys absolutely must read, but it’s appropriate for readers of any age who enjoy adventure
stories and problem solving!